for the first time
by esmeaplatt
Summary: Esme introduces Carlisle to her baby boy in the afterlife.


**for the first time**

* * *

She got there first.

A misstep, a wrong look toward the Volturi leader had led to end of her life. The ancient vampire finally made Carlisle pay for those years of refusing the humans he offered him, for leaving the Volturi all those years ago- he killed his mate.

She'd never really believed in the afterlife in the way Carlisle had. She considered that there may be something but she was never certain.

When arrived, she was surprised to find that it looked just like her island. She took a step forward onto the warm sand of Isle Esme and noticed that her skin wasn't sparkling. She felt warm. She could feel her heart beating in her chest.

She turned her head, looking down the shore. She'd never been to the island by herself before. Her tropical trips had always been taken with her husband at her side. What she would do in her free time, she wasn't sure. She hoped, selfishly, that perhaps Carlisle would join her one day. The two of them could spend eternity in the beautiful haven he'd bought her all those years.

As her feet began to sink down into the sand, she heard a faint cry coming from the house.

For a moment, she didn't move. She furrows her brow at the foreign sound. It had been years since she heard- is that…?

When she heard the cry again, she moves toward the house. She realized that she couldn't move at vampire speed anymore so she started sprinting as fast as she could when she was a human.

She reached the house and walked up to the front door, pushing it open and stepping into the air conditioning. The house smelled the same, like the lilies she likes to keep in vases when they stay on the island.

As she moved through the house, the crying got louder and louder. She pushed the door of her and Carlisle's bedroom open, stepping inside to find a white bassinet situated under the window.

She stalled in the doorway until another cry came from the bassinet and then she stumbled toward the sound. The baby kicked his little legs, his whole face scrunched up as he screamed for his mother.

"Oh, baby…" She murmured, reaching down to carefully lift the baby into her arms. "Mama's here."

He wiggled against her before relaxing against her chest, his cries quieting as he blinked up at her with tears in his bright blue eyes.

She laughed softly, tears springing to her eyes. When she felt the drops moving down her cheeks, it made her cry harder. She could cry again.

"I missed you so much." Esme tells the baby, lifting a gently finger to stroke his soft cheek.

The baby made a little noise, burrowing closer to his mother. He took a breath, deep and strong- so unlike it had been the last time she'd laid eyes on him.

She lowered herself to the edge of the bed, bringing her legs up to sit cross legged on the soft sheets. She couldn't take her eyes off the little boy with soft strawberry blonde hair and her nose.

A day could have passed or perhaps one hundred years- she couldn't be sure. She didn't age and neither did he.

They were sitting in the yard when Carlisle arrived. The baby had been sitting in a bouncy chair beside her in the grass while she painted. Esme hadn't seen him but the scent of him traveled through the hair as it had when she had her vampire senses.

Esme turned her head quickly, dropping the paintbrush as jumped to her feet.

"Carlisle?" She called out, stepping out from around the back of the house. She made her way toward the beach.

She saw him stepping off of the boat, stumbling slightly as he made it to solid ground.

Excited laughter tumbled from her lips as she started running toward him. "Carlisle!"

His head jerked up, eyes widening as he saw her again. The doctor only made it a few steps before she crashed into him, knocking him to the ground and landing on his chest.

They both laughed as his arms wrapped around her to hold her close to him in the sand.

"I missed you so much." Carlisle choked out.

"I missed you." Esme breathed, her hands cradling his cheeks as she kisses him.

He broke the kiss after a moment and lifts a hand to tuck her hair back behind her ear. His finger then trailed across her cheek, traced the outline of her bottom lip.

She pressed a kiss to the tip of his finger. "I love you."

"I love you." He told her, his smile radiant as he watches her.

Esme was smiling too, her cheeks almost hurting with it. She sat up and then climbed off of him, holding her hand out and then pulling him up when he took it.

"There's someone I want you to meet."

"Someone?"

She nodded, walking him around the house and into the little backyard. Joseph was babbling happily to himself as he bounced in his chair.

Esme kneeled down to unstrap the infant and lift him into her arms. She then stood and walked over to Carlisle who had frozen at the sight of the baby.

"Joseph." Carlisle said softly, recognizing Esme's son immediately.

Esme nodded, running her finger down the baby's nose and laughing slightly when he scrunches his nose.

"He's beautiful.

"He is." Esme says, looking at Carlisle with tears in her eyes.

"We can cry again." Carlisle observes, reaching out to wipe her tears from her cheeks.

Esme nodded again as she shifted Joseph to one arm and reached out to wipe his tears as he'd done with hers. "Would you like to hold him?"

"I'd love to."

Esme laid her baby in Carlisle's arms, helping to get him situated in the crook of her husband's arm.

Carlisle smiled down at the baby who seemed content with him. "It's nice to finally meet you." He told him. "Your mommy has told me wonderful things."

Esme rested her head against his bicep as her arm wrapped around his waist. "I've told him all about you. He already loves you."

"I love him too. I have since the very first time you told me about him."

A few hours later, the two of them laid their son down to sleep as the sun set across the sea. The watched him for moment or two before Esme pulled Carlisle back toward their back.

She smiled up at him as she laid back and pulled him down on top of her. "Guess what?"

"What?" He asked her, running his fingers through her hair.

Esme rolled them over and pinned him beneath her. "We can sleep."

Carlisle rested his hands on her sides, his thumb moving back and forth over her ribs. "Wow…"

She kissed him softly and then the two spent hours getting reacquainted with each other, falling in love all over again as they drifted off to sleep in each other's arms for the first time.


End file.
